Two For Good Luck?
I have had a lot of curling and flat irons in my life. I have always been better with a flat iron, but I do like how my hair looks when it’s curled. All the curling irons I’ve had in my life have been made of metal, and they’ve seemed to be really unkind to my hair. I can remember the frying sound that became part of my childhood as I tried to tame those rampant curls by you know, putting in other curls!
Anyway, I’m really interested to find out more about new materials that have made their way into the curling iron game lately. It’s really refreshing to see things made out of something other than metal because cheap metals can be so damaging to your hair. For instance, I have always had a good experience with ceramic straight irons. Based on this, I wanted to find the best ceramic flat iron on the market to see if I could get the best curls possible without destroying my luscious locks.
It Takes Two Baby
The Conair Double Ceramic Curling Iron not only features the ceramic barrel I love, but it’s called a double ceramic iron for a reason. At first, I wasn’t sure what “double” meant, but deductive reasoning led me to believe it means there are two kinds of ceramic (or at least two layers of ceramic).
The double ceramic barrel ensures heat is evenly distributed through the barrel that is made extra smooth by the ceramic coating. Hot spots on an iron of any kind can burn hair, and the technology used with this one stops that.
Don’t Get Burned
What I like about this iron is it’s great for clumsy people because it has a heat shield that protects hands from getting burned. To help further with the issue of being burned, it has a base you can rest it on when you’re trying to arrange your hair between curls. The small base makes a big difference and stops the likelihood of me ending up with a burn on my counter.
Time For Recess
One of the most annoying things about irons and wands is the controls are often located in what can only be described as the worst places ever. They’re generally right where you have to put your hand, and that means you’ll constantly hit them when you’re using the iron. The Double Ceramic has recessed buttons so it’s harder to hit them when the iron is actively in use, so you skip the frustration that comes from trying to work with an iron that accidentally gets turned off.
Flexible Temperatures
My mother and I use irons at totally different settings. I have to turn my irons all the way down when I do her hair. With an iron like this, this is no problem because there are more than 30 temperature settings. I like the flexibility, and I also like that I can even get different styles for myself by adjusting the temperature based on the amount of volume or curl I want in my hair.
Not The Highest In The Heat Game
The heat on this iron only goes up to 375F. While that should be hot enough for most hair types, newer irons are going up to 450 or 460F. Coarse and hard to manage hair types need extra heat so you get the texture you want, and I’m not sure this iron will get hot enough to support that. Advisable or not, I will use my iron at well over 400F because of my thick hair, and this one won’t get close.
Priced To Try
At under $12 this iron would have to be pretty terrible to make it not worth trying. You can’t even buy dinner out for $12! I’m amazed at the high quality ceramic that can be achieved for so little money. I also think it’s great for people who have never used a curling iron before because you’re not shelling out a ton of cash.
Sizes Galore
The price of this iron makes it a steal, and it also comes in several different sizes so you get exactly what you’re looking for. From 3/4 inches to 1.5 inches users can get tight or big curls depending on what they’re going for.
Might Stay On, But It Still Gets Knocked Around
I talked earlier about how the buttons on an iron can be annoying because they sometimes turn off while you’re using the device, but that isn’t the case here. Unfortunately, it still isn’t all perfect. While the iron may stay on, the temperature control is right in a place where it’s easy to hit, so you may end up with an iron that’s way too hot or much too cool to do the trick.
Not Hot Enough For Hold Enough
As I suspected, this iron gets hot quickly but it just doesn’t get hot enough. The top level of heat just isn’t sufficient to positively impact the outcome on your hair (well, not mine anyway). A lot of people end up with curls that just fall out unless the mix includes a whole lot of hair spray, and I hate that feeling on my hair. Some people may do just find at 375 degrees, but personally I think this model is better suited to hair types that can damage easily.
Double Ceramic for Mama. Double Not For Me.
While I love the ceramic coating on this iron and I think it will work for a lot of people, this one isn’t for me simply because of its inability to reach high temperatures which is something my crazy mane really needs. It would probably work “fine” for my mother, so I guess she will probably benefit from the great price and excellent reviews this curling iron has.